SW17LS

In my case the plug in is what I want. I want the ability to drive the car around in full EV mode without having to worry about recharging on a trip.

Thats why there are options, it’s great that BMW gives us the option of a V6, an I6, a PHEV and a full EV in the same model. I wouldn’t want to go to a 6 without the EV trade off.

It likely comes down to wheel size and tires. What size wheels are on that S560? Bear in mind too that I have non run flat tires and I run lower than the MB tire pressures.

AJT123

W222 didn't handle bumps as well as an LS430 but it also was on 21s so you can't truly hold that against it.

The ride of it was great, though.

Stroock639

it didn't have the AMG appearance pkg or anything so whatever the standard wheel size is... although good point there's a high chance it was still on RFTs if that's what it came with (it was a 4matic model)

SW17LS

Yeah the 21s are the culprit here. Mine has 19s and even on 20s there is a huge difference in ride.

There’s no standard wheel size. It could have 18s, 19s or 20s without the AMG appearance package. AMG appearance package is 19s or 20s.

Most S Classes have 20s actually.

Stroock639

hmm well here's a pic of when he last visited and was driving the car, idk if you can tell from this



my parents still had the C300 lease then and i was very happy that i got to take a pic of a C, E, and S class all in one frame haha

SW17LS

That car does have the AMG appearance package and it has the same 19” wheels I have. I’m sure it has runflats and I’m sure they are way over-aired. On regular tires aired to like 31-32 like mine I think you will find it absorbs bumps at low speeds much much better.

Stroock639

oh are those like AMG specific wheels or something? they look exactly like AMG 5 spokes so i guess that makes sense lol

yea he's more a status person than a car person so i imagine those tires have never been personally tended to... but nice to know there's little adjustments to be made to optimize the comfort

TangoRed

The last BMW V8 I had was by far the most reliable, but I of course didn’t own it for several years. They’ve revised them so much at this point I didn’t even hesitate to select the V8 when I placed my Range Rover order.

I think it’s ugly so that’s an immediate deal breaker, but the interior is indeed nicer. The ride quality is simply impeccable, but the weird feeling to have the S580’s I’ve driven feel sportier than the equivalent BMW.

SW17LS

The 760 feels more athletic than the i7, its 1,000 lbs lighter. Still rides really great. S580 does too.

Ive for sure decided I’m not ready to go full EV, so it’s ICE or PHEV.

That’s my dilemma though, do I pay way more for a car where the interior is going to bug me all the time with little quality issues. Lots of talk of rattles etc, or do I buy a car with an incredible interior that I don’t think is ugly, but other people do? I don’t really have a desire to drive a car people think is ugly, and I agree the S580 is much better looking…but where does that leave me?

Thats why I consider SUVs because at least that’s something totally different that really can’t be compared to what I have now, and why I consider keeping what I have until something else more compelling pops up. I really have very few complaints about my S560 but I don’t want to start dealing with repairs etc, warrantied or not.

SW17LS

Yep, those wheels are only available with the AMG Appearance package, these 20s were an option above those:



Here basically is what I am looking at:

Sedans:

MB S580
MB S580e PHEV
BMW 760i
BMW 750e PHEV
Audi S8 (I suppose I will check one out, but thats unlikely)

SUVs:

Range Rover (will consider the 6 and 8, would consider the PHEV but they are sold out for 2024)
MB GLS580
X7 40i (no V8 X7 because I don't like the M Sport appearance package)
Lexus LX600
Audi Q8

Any other thoughts?

LexBob2

Do you have any interest in the Lincoln Aviator maybe Black Label trim?

SW17LS

Not for a daily for me, I want something higher end than that

Striker223

Q8 with the APR warranty matching tune, I personally think it's a better package than the Range Rover if you won't ever off road the car.

The V8 GLS is nice as well

The range is a great car but I'm just somewhat underwhelmed for the price at what you get if you leave out the extreme off road capability

Sedan wise I can't really fathom getting a plug in version and losing so much performance but if that's what you want get an i7 since it does it best. Only version I drove was the V8 and it was good but not like previous 7s in any way, more biased toward flash and luxury vs the drive.

Try the S8, it will surprise you capability wise and may not anger you too much in regards to ride if you back all the settings off and have predictive ride on max. Push it a bit too and see the difference.....it's the angriest and sharpest in that class.

TangoRed

I liked the SQ8, but not the Q8. The Q8 had a throttle lag that drove nuts and overall I was left thinking I’d rather have a Porsche Cayenne.

Have you test driven a Cayenne PHEV or Panamera?

SW17LS

Q8 for some reason always feels cheap inside to me. Range Rover is just something I have always wanted, like the S Class. At some point I will have one.

i7 is a full EV, the 750e is the plug in hybrid. You really don’t lose any performance, the PHEV in both the S and the 7 have more power than the V8. In any event, what I like is the smooth EV powertrain. I don’t need or want any more performance than I have now.